An Easy Comparison Chart of the House vs. Senate

For anyone interested:

Differences between the House and the Senate At-a-Glance
House	Senate
Larger - 435 members	Smaller - 100 members
Districts based on population	Two Senators from each state
Shorter term - 2 years	Longer term - 6 years
All stand for election every 2 years	6 year terms are staggered, 1/3 stand for election every 2 years - "continuing body"
At least 25 years of age when seated	At least 30 years of age when seated
Originates revenue legislation	Executive business (Treaties by 2/3, nominations)
Four calendars (Union, House, Private, and Discharge)	Two calendars (Legislative and Executive)
Less procedural flexibility / more restraints	More procedural flexibility / fewer restraints
Rules adopted each Congress (every 2 years)	Rules continuously in effect
Stronger Leadership - power less evenly distributed	Weaker Leadership - power more evenly distributed
Role of Rules Committee and special rules to govern floor consideration	Unanimous consent and complex unanimous consent time agreements to govern floor consideration
Scheduling by Speaker and majority-party leadership, with limited consultation among members	Scheduling by majority-party leadership, with broad consultation among all members
Germaneness of amendments generally required	Germaneness of amendments rarely required
Presiding officer has considerable discretion in recognition; rulings rarely challenged	Presiding officer has little discretion in recognition; rulings frequently challenged
Debate always restricted	Debate rarely restricted
Debate-ending motions by majority vote (218 representatives)	Cloture invoked by three-fifths vote (60 senators)
Quorum calls permitted in connection with record votes	Quorum calls permitted almost any time and used for constructive delay
Narrower constituency - House District	Larger constituency - entire state
Elections generally less competitive	Elections generally more competitive
Specialists	Generalists
Less reliant on staff	More reliant on staff
Less media coverage	More media coverage
More partisan	Less partisan
Adjourns at end of day	Recesses at end of most days
Salary: 2009, 2010, 2011: $174,000    2008: $169,300 2006 and 2007: $165,200 (2005: $162,100) For more information, see Pay and Perquisites of Members of Congress	Salary:  2009, 2010, 2011: $174,000    2008:  $169,300 2006 and 2007: $165,200 (2005: $162,100) For more information, see Pay and Perquisites of Members of Congress

• Source: Congressional Deskbook, §§ 8.150-8.151